Earning A Living
by MeGkAtHeRiNe
Summary: A thirty-five year old Emily Prentiss is just a small town, diner owner with a young daughter and a menace of a boyfriend, until three FBI agents begin to crowd her town.
1. Chapter 1

Emily smiled wide as she watched her daughter take the order of some of their regular customers. It only took about a half hour of training to get her to the employee of the month position, and her mother couldn't be happier.

"Emmy, baby my eyes are over here."

Emily bit her lip to keep from laughing as she nodded, pouring a cup of coffee for the old man sitting at the counter in front of her. "Sorry Charlie, was just making sure Amy was ok."

Charlie nodded as he lifted his shaking hand to scratch his temple. "That little girl of yours is quite the waitress, Emmy. Little Amelia is well on her way to being a great young lady. And she's pretty, too."

The brunette nodded as she shoved a curl of ebony hair behind her ear. "I know. I think she takes after her daddy."

"No, no little Em. She takes after you, she surely does. Can't you tell? The beautiful dark hair? The dark eyes and her very fair skin?"

Emily's eyes narrowed on the man in front of her as she batted the cook's hand away from her ass. "Charlie, Amelia has light brown hair and green eyes."

Charlie furrowed his brow as he set down the coffee cup and looked up to Emily. "Then who the hell was I talking about?"

Emily let out a bark of laughter as she rubbed her hand down the man's arm, watching as her daughter walked over with a smile on her face. "Hey Amy. Everything ok?"

Amelia immediately nodded, her smile wide as her ponytail swayed behind her. "Yeah, everything's great. I got complimented by four guys, and two women. Oh! And some lady gave me a tip." She held up a check, that her mother immediately took out of her hand.

Emily's eyes widened as she sent an accusing stare to her smirking daughter. "Amy, this is a check for one hundred dollars. And the woman wrote on the side 'cute eyes, little mama'."

Amelia grinned as she let out a laugh. "I know!"

Emily shook her head as she shoved the check into her apron pocket. She took her daughter's arm and brought her behind the counter. "That's not funny, Amelia. You're working here, not trying to let older women hit on you. Which, by the way, is really odd and kind of creepy. Who was the woman?"

The young brunette shrugged as she set down her pad and pen and picked up two plates full of scrambled eggs. "I don't know. I don't think she's from here, you know? I mean, we're a tiny town. I would have remembered her from somewhere."

Emily nodded as Amelia passed her, and she looked up to see three men entering through the door. Her eyes immediately landed on a tall, dark haired man in a suit. His eyes were dark brown and his dimples grew as he sat down in front of her, his two friends sitting right down by his sides. She let a small smile grace her features, feeling all three sets of eyes cast her a glance. "Out of towners?"

The man smiled at her as the dark man next to him sent her a laugh. "How could you tell? The suits?"

Emily shook her head as she looked to the darker man. "Partially that. And," she smiled back to the one right in front of her, feeling his eyes travel down her outfit. "Partially because all of the people here know each other. But you three are not very familiar to me."

The dark man lifted his hand, and Emily immediately took it with a smile. "I'm Derek. And we three work together."

The man on the other side of the brunette smiled awkwardly as he fixed his collar. "I'm Spencer."

"And I'm Aaron."

Emily's soft smile was let out as her eyes passed over all three of them. "Derek, Spencer and Aaron." She cleared her throat quickly as she looked down to her pad of paper. "Ok, so what can I get you three?"

Aaron arched his eyebrow as he smiled at her. "Maybe you can give us some menus before we order. You know, kinda helps with the decision making."

Emily closed her eyes as she mumbled a curse, and quickly took three menus out from under the counter. "I'm so sorry. I'm in some weird mojo today."

Spencer quickly set his menu aside and gave her a goofy grin. "Can I have the coffee with the Premier Special that consists of ham, bacon, three eggs over easy and five pieces of toast. Oh! And with a side of butter, if you could."

Emily's eyebrows lifted at the young man as chuckles came from both Derek and Aaron. "You read that menu that fast?"

"Well yes."

Without another question, Emily quickly turned to give his order to the cook.

Aaron smiled at the woman in front of him before glancing at a young woman carrying a tray from the kitchen. "Um, excuse me. Isn't that young lady to be working here?"

Emily smirked as all three men stared at her. "Not when her mama owns the diner."

Spencer squinted at the brunette woman as Aaron rubbed his temple. "Are you her mother? And the owner?"

Emily nodded as she held her hand out for the young gentleman, and smiled softly. "I'm Emily Prentiss, and the little girl is my Amelia. She's fifteen."

Aaron shook his head as his hands painfully gripped the edges of the menu before him. "Miss, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude."

She shook her head as she took the menus from him and Derek. "It's fine, I get it a lot. She's only started yesterday, but she's been pretty good. Gotten a lot of tips for the place." She sent a small smile to the man in front of her before picking up the coffee pot and began filling the cup in front of Spencer. "So, what can I get you?"

…

Amelia looked up from the smiling customer and looked out the window to see a man slamming the door to his truck, his smoldering eyes glaring at the diner. Amelia's smile immediately faded as the man stomped up to the doors, and she quickly ran to her mother who was behind the counter. "Mama!"

All the patrons, including the three men in front of Emily looked her way. "What is it, Amy?"

"Daddy's comin' up the steps."

Emily's eyes immediately widened as she set down the coffee pot and took off her apron, letting the pink dress she was wearing show. It was a pale pastel with a small white collar, and it ended just at her knees. "Take these men's order, sweetie. I'll be right back."

All the customers and the workers watched as she walked out of the diner, meeting the man out by his car. Even everyone who was still seated could see out the window and how the man shoved her back against the truck. Aaron immediately got up when she saw her slapped hard across the face, and ran through the entrance doors. "HEY!"

Emily and Johnny both looked up to see Aaron storming towards them. Emily immediately shook her head but stayed silent, as she softly bit her lip and stared at the floor.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Johnny shoved the man away from him before grabbing Emily's arm. "It's none of your business what I do with my girl." He looked down to the scared brunette and dug his nails into her flesh. "Get in the car, Emily."

Aaron stepped closer and shoved Johnny, just like he did to him a moment before, letting the grip he had on Emily loosen. "Step away from her."

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

"I think I'm federal agent Aaron Hotchner and I won't let you hurt this innocent woman, while her young daughter is watching just from inside."

Emily cast a worried glance toward the windows to see her daughter staring out to her, along with every other customer.

Johnny let out a smirk as he sent daggers towards Emily. "Maybe I should just go and bring Amy home with me."

Emily immediately shook her head as she grabbed onto his hands. "Please don't, Johnny. Just leave her alone, please. I can take it, I promise."

Aaron grabbed Johnny by the arm until he fell back, and he effectively punched the man in the leather coat in his jaw.

Emily watched in horror as Aaron kicked her boyfriend in the side, and bent down only to punch him in the nose until it bled. "Stop it!"

Johnny groaned as he stood, looking to the man in the suit, who Emily was holding onto for comfort. He spit the blood that formed in his mouth onto the dirt before shoving the couple out of the way. "I'm comin' back, Em."

The two brunette's watched as Johnny drove away, before Emily began wiping the dirt from Aaron's suit. "Aaron, I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"

Aaron quickly nodded before grabbing the younger woman by her shoulders, seeing the worried look in her eyes. "Are you ok? All of that…it apparently wasn't a first time thing."

Emily shook her head before wiping her eye, and backing up towards the stairs that led to her diner doors. "It really doesn't matter. We should get back inside so I can get your breakfast ready."

"Bu-"

"I said we should get back inside, Aaron."


	2. Chapter 2

Emily avoided the eyes of the customers as she made her way back behind the counter, sending small smiles to Derek and Spencer as Aaron sat back between them. "I'm really sorry for everything, especially since it's one of your first days in town. Have you figured out what you wanted?"

Derek shook his head as he looked her over, seeing no signs of bruises, while Spencer fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat. "Emily, are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Miss Prentiss, that man was awful hard on you. Are you sure you're alri-"

"I said I'm fine, Derek." She let her eyes soften as she quickly shook her head, running her fingers through her waved hair. "I promise you don't have to go all ape on him, alright? Thank you though. You guys are very thoughtful."

"Ape?"

Emily smiled at Spencer before patting his cheek. "I meant ape shit, but I didn't wanna curse. But now I have."

Spencer blushed as he quickly picked up his coffee mug. "I'm sorry Miss Emily."

Emily bit her lip as she smirked, shaking her head as she laid his breakfast down in front of him. "No need to call me Miss Emily, honey. But, have you seen my daughter?" She looked over his shoulder, and felt the eyes of a suspicious Aaron on her. "I didn't see her when she came back in."

Derek nodded as he ran his hand over his bald head. "I think she went into the bathroom."

She shook her head slowly, looking down at her shoes before pointing behind her. "I'll be right back, ok? Just give your orders to Steven and he'll get it ready for you." She ran out from behind the counter and made her way to the bathrooms, feeling the eyes of all three men on her as she walked through the door. She let her eyes wander the room before letting her head peek under the stalls. "Amy? Sweetie, are you in here?"

When she was rewarded with a sniffle, she immediately ran to the last stall and opened the door, letting her eyes water at the sight of her crying daughter sitting on the seat. "Oh, sweetie…"

Amelia looked up and wiped her eyes before quickly standing, and marching past her mother. "You should be working, ma."

Emily shook her head as she followed the brunette girl over to the sinks, and watched as she washed her hands, seeing them both in the reflection of the huge mirror that lay above the counter. "Sweetheart I am so sorry that me and daddy made you cry."

Amelia sniffled as she wiped her hand under her nose, letting a tear fall and mix in with the water in the sink. "You didn't make me cry. Dad did."

Emily bit her lip as she looked at her teary eyed girl in the mirror. "Amelia, I am so sorry that you have to deal with all of this. No one as young and beautiful as you should have to go through this, any of this. And please, you have to forgive me for bringing you into thi-"

"It's not your fault!"

Amelia whipped around after turning off the faucet and looked at her mother dead in the eye. "Stop saying stuff like that! It's not your fault, it's not my fault. It's no one's fault but his, ok? And what the hell do you mean by 'so young and beautiful as you'?" She watched as her mother's eyes began to water as she stared back at her. "I feel disgusting because of this! I don't feel at all beautiful, and don't fucking tell me that I am. Last night when you were asleep on the couch because he threw a bottle at your head, he came into my room. That was the fourth time in my whole life that he's done something so filthy to me, and it made me feel like shit! So don't you tell me I'm beautiful when he makes me feel so grimy and disgusting."

Emily's mouth hung ajar as tears cascaded down her pale cheeks. "Ameli-"

"What?"

"Why haven't you ever told me that he's done something like that?"

"Because if I told you, he'd come after you! And he already does that enough. I know it! The kitchen staff knows it. Fuck, the whole town knows it! And you wanna know why, mama? Because he goes off braggin' to everyone around here, like he's the coolest thing around. Well lemme' tell you that he most definitely is not. He's a pig, and I hate that he touches you and makes you feel so worthless. It's revolting and the reason we're thinking of leaving in the first place!"

Emily let out a sob as she brought her raging daughter into her arms, feeling the tension immediately relieve her body. She ran her fingers through her daughter's ponytail as she let her cry into her shoulder, and as she silently cried into her hair. "Sweetie, I'm so sorry. Just let me say that, because you cannot believe how much I know that feeling of stupidity and dirtiness. But now you let me tell you something, ok? I believe in the right moment, at the right time, I'm gonna get us out of here."

A knock at the door broke them apart, and Amelia immediately opened it and gave a small smile as she wiped her cheeks. "Hello sir."

Emily wiped her face before running her hand down her daughter's back. "Sweetie, go back to work, ok? I'm going to talk with him for a minute."

"Ok."

Once Amelia was out of sight, the man quickly entered before closing the door behind him. "Emily?"

Emily shook her head as she folded her arms in front of her breasts. "I just met you sir, and this is already getting way too personal. It's a little weird, so I'm not explaining this to you."

"Why did you call me sir?"

"I don't know. Why did your awkward little partner call me Miss Emily like I was some school teacher?"

He nodded his head slowly before shoving his hands into his pockets. "I just wanted to know if you were alright, Emily."

Emily nodded slowly before running her fingers through a lock of her hair. "I'm fine, now lets get back outside so you can eat and then do whatever you do."

"Bu-"

"Don't make me throw you out of my diner, Aaron."

Aaron sighed before opening the door, and holding out a hand in front of her. "Lead the way."


	3. Chapter 3

Amelia felt herself being shaken before her eyes slowly popped open, and almost screamed as her mother stood above her bed. "What the hell, mom?"

Emily shook her head as she shh'ed her daughter, her hand gripping her suitcase's handle tight. "Honey, get up. We're leaving."

Both women immediately packed Amelia's bag before getting their coats and making their way to the door. The darkness didn't help the fact that they had to get out quick before Johnny would wake up. Emily quickly opened the front door and slammed it behind them before they jumped in the car and locked the doors. Amelia shivered as Emily started the car, only to jump at a bang on her window.

"Aaron?"

Aaron nodded as he took his hands from the window, letting Emily slowly roll it down. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard what you told Amelia in the bathroom. Emily, where do you think you are going to go?"

Emily shook her head as she sent a worried glance towards the house, her hands cramping on the steering wheel. "Aaron, how did you know where I lived? And why do you care? I barely know you."

"It doesn't mean I don't care, Emily." He gripped the open window. "Do you have anywhere to go?"

"No, but I was goi-"

"Follow my car."

Emily's eyebrows shot up as she noticed Amelia relax in her seat. "Aaron, you're very sweet, but also being kind of weird and creepy and I don't think that we sho-"

"EMILY!"

Every brunette in the driveway turned their head towards the front door, where a shirtless Johnny stood with an empty beer can crushed in his hand. Emily's eyes widened as Aaron immediately straightened up and she quickly buckled her seatbelt. "Aaron, get in your car and drive. I'll follow you, I promise."

Johnny made his way to the car before pounding his hand onto the hood of the car. "Get out of the car, Emily!"

Emily shook her head as she watched Johnny's eyes glare at the tall agent in front of him. "Johnny, leave him alone. Just go back in the house."

"Don't you think you can tell me what to do, Emily Michelle! I OWN you and your fuck of a daughter! Now you get back in that house this moment."

Emily felt anger pelt at her core as she quickly stepped out of the car, ignoring her daughter's calls as she stood just in front of Aaron. "Don't you dare talk about my child, like that. And she's not just mine. As much as I hate to say it, she's yours too!"

Johnny smirked as he shook his head, pointing the dented beer can at his girlfriend. "How the fuck am I suppose to know that? She could be anyone's! Everyone knows that you're a floozy."

Aaron watched as Emily's eyes widened, and he fisted his hands by his side before holding Emily back. "Emily is no floozy, John. She's one of the most beautiful, self-respecting and caring women I know. And it's obvious she doesn't take anything for granted, unlike some people." He felt himself smirk as Johnny's eyes raged his way. Aaron ignored the fact as Emily stiffened slightly in his arms, and just rubbed his hands along her covered shoulders. "True, I've not known her for long. But I can tell I already I know a lot more than you do."

Johnny's eyes widened as his breath came in ragged breaths. He quickly lunged forward, only to fall to the gravel floor when a fist connected with his face. And oddly enough, it wasn't Aaron's.


	4. Chapter 4

Emily bit her lip as she felt Derek's eyes on her from across the plane. She sat in the back of Aaron's teams jet, Aaron across from her while the rest of them were over doing their work. Amelia was sleeping on the small couch that was there, a small blanket draped over her and an icepack icing her bruised and slightly sore hand. "Aaron?"

Aaron looked up from his file and saw Emily's worried eyes, his brown furrowing when her voice came out so soft. "What is it Emily?"

"He keeps staring at me."

Aaron quickly turned to look behind him, huffing as Derek's eyes averted down to his file. "Don't worry about him. He doesn't trust very well, very often." He looked back to the brunette in front of him, smiling slightly when her face and shoulders visibly softened. "Are you ok, Emily?"

Emily nodded immediately, her eyes flickering back to the man before her. "I'm alright. Do you know when we're going to land? I don't do very good in planes, if you can tell."

"Oh, I can. You already ran to the bathroom twice."

The younger woman blushed slightly before her ears perked up, hearing the pilot's voice over the speakers.

Ten minutes later Aaron Hotchner was leading a slightly tired Emily out and down the plane steps, with a sleeping Amelia in his arms, her head on his shoulder. Once they made it to his SUV and Amelia was laying down in the backseat, he closed the back door and turned to Emily. "You ready?"

"Are you taking me to a hotel or something?"

Aaron immediately shook his head, his eyes widening as he watched the breeze blow a couple curls onto her cheek, her hands tightening around her small purse that was held in front of her waist. "Emily, I told you that you are staying with me as long as you need."

Emily bit her lip as she watched him open her door, but made no move to get in. "You said you have a son."

"And he's two years old. I don't think he'll mind."

Rolling her eyes, Emily got in the car and slammed her door.

Aaron held his eyes wide before letting out a huff, and walking to his side of the car. Once he was in, he quickly inserted the keys and turned on the heat. "Emily, I don't want you staying at some random hotel. You know nothing about this city."

Emily nodded slowly before looking over to him, watching as he began to pull out of the parking lot. "Aaron, know that I am so very grateful for what you're doing for Amelia and I, but I'm not comfortable with staying at your home where you're son can ask me random questions that I'd like to not think about answering. I'm not comfortable being babied."

The older man shook his head as he pulled onto the highway, forcing a sweet smile that he shot at her. "You're gonna have to learn to get comfortable, wont you?"

Emily's eyes hardened as she let out a huff, but she quickly complied and slammed her head back into her seat. "I guess I will."


	5. Chapter 5

Running her fingers through her wavy hair, Emily let herself stand from the couch that she had spent the night on. They had gotten to Aaron's home just a moment after ten, and his little boy was already fast asleep. She let him set her daughter up in his only guest room before having a half hour long argument about her sleeping in his bed.

He was a very strange, sweet man.

She held her hand over her mouth to hide her yawn before making her way into the older man's kitchen, her hand reaching for the cabinet where she assumed the coffee mugs were placed.

"'Ello?"

Emily turned at the sound of a small voice, her dark eyes widening at the sight of the blond haired little boy standing there with his fist rubbing at his eye. "Hello?"

The blue eyed boy slowly nodded his head. "Hi."

"Hi sweetheart," she laughed nervously. "Are you Jack?"

He nodded again.

Emily bit her lip as she closed the cupboard door and knelt down before the toddler, smiling as softly as she could as a wave of nervousness washed over her. "Your daddy has told me all about you," she grinned, nodding when his eyes widened. "What are you doing up so early, buddy? It's a Saturday."

Jack's face immediately lit up, smiling up to the strange woman he had found in his kitchen. "Daddy ma'es me cereal."

"Really?" Her jaw dropped in mock surprise at his excitement. "He makes you cereal for breakfast every morning? What kind of cereal?"

"The ones wif da' bunnies."

Emily nodded her head, standing once more and leading the little boy into the kitchen. "Well since your daddy isn't up yet why don't I make you your cereal?"

Jack's hazel eyes widened. "Really?"

"Of course," she chuckled, searching the cabinets for where the FBI agent kept his bowls. "So how old are you, buddy?"

The little boy grinned, holding up two fingers to the brunette woman.

Emily let her eyes widen dramatically, her lips curling into a smile as she found the cabinet that held the bowls and plates. "You're two years old? You look way too big to be only two, Jack."

Jack paused before nodding his head. "I'm almost three, too."

"Oh, ok. You're two and almost three?"

"Yeah!"

Emily kept a grin on her face the entire time she spoke with the toddler, loving how excited he was at such an early time in the morning. She helped him up into his highchair and sat at the table with him, watching as he did his best to pick up all of his cereal with his favorite spoon. "Do you always wake up this early, Jack?"

The two year old shook his head.

"No?" Emily set her chin in her hand, watching as the little boy's eyes looked up to her. "When do you usually get up?"

Jack let himself finish chewing the bits of cereal he had in his mouth before answering the brunette woman. "When daddy gets me."

"Oh that makes sense," she nodded. "Does daddy always come to get you in the morning?"

"Yeah!"

Emily looked up at the sound of footsteps moving towards the kitchen, her heart fluttering slightly at the mused looking man that made his way into the room. "Good morning Aaron."

The older man put on a smile for the brunette he had let into his home. "How'd you sleep?" Before he got a chance to answer, he opened his mouth once more. "Probably not as well as you would have if you'd agreed to take my bed."

Emily felt a smirk pop up onto her face, knowing that he was still holding a grudge for their disagreement the night before. "I slept just fine, thank you. Jack here was telling me about how he wakes up every morning with his daddy."

Jack quickly nodded his head. "Yeah. Daddy wakes me up with him."

The mother of one smiled, nodding along with the young boy that looked her way. "I know."

Aaron smiled to his son and pressed a kiss to his forehead, ruffling the thick head of hair he had. "Did you tell Miss Emily how many days until your third birthday?"

Jack's eyes widened as he looked up to his father. "I didn't, daddy."

"Well that's ok honey," Emily smiled. "Why don't you tell me now?"

Scrunching his tiny brow in concentration, Jack used his free hand to try and count the days on his fingers. "One, two, tr'ee..." He looked up to his father with his big eyes, seeing the amount of fingers he was holding up for him to read. "Seven!"

Emily let her jaw drop. "Your birthday is one whole week?"

Jack giggled as he nodded his head. "I get presents from grandma!"

The father in the room chuckled. "What about your presents from daddy?"

"Grandma," the little boy insisted.

Emily did her best to hide her smirk and stop the chuckle that wanted to rip from her throat at the look of mock sadness on the FBI agent's face. "What does your grandma usually give you?"

"She gived me my truck!"

"A whole truck? Well where'd you park the thing?" She matched the smile of the older man that stood beside the kitchen table as Jack giggled into his bowl. "Maybe you could show it to me later?"

Jack's eyes lit up. "Ok Em'ly."

Aaron gave a small pat to his son's head before making his way into the kitchen, grabbing two mugs from the second cupboard from the left. "Coffee?"

"Please," the brunette woman nodded. She hesitated before slowly standing from her seat, walking up to the man that had taken her and her daughter into his home and set a gentle hand to his shoulder. "I wanted to thank you." Her eyes smiled up to those of the older man. "You didn't have to do what you've done for us."

Aaron ran a hand down Emily's arm. "There's no thank you needed. How's your back?" He remembered her complaining last night before they went to bed about her shoulder being in pain from when she was slammed up against the truck.

Emily shrugged. "Still a little sore."

"I have a friend that has a chiropractor in his building. If you'd like, I could make you an appointment."

The mother of one was quick to shake her head, taking the cup of coffee that he had made for her from his strong hands. "It's not that bad, but thank you." She let him lead her back to the table, sitting down just beside one another as they waited for Amelia to get up and get ready for the day.


	6. Chapter 6

Biting down hard on her bottom lip, the seemingly lost mother of one watched as the man whose house she was now residing in zip his laptop case closed. "So you're going to work?"

"I am," he nodded, turning to look at the younger brunette. "I shouldn't be home any later than seven. If so, then I'll call you."

Emily smiled gently. "Got it."

Aaron let himself pause at the look he saw in the raven haired woman's eyes, frowning when he noticed the apprehension lying behind them. "Is everything alright?"

The brunette woman took her nail from between her teeth, not wanting the man who had taken her and her daughter in to see one of her nervous habits. She didn't want him inside of her head. "Of course," she smiled. "I'm fine."

"Emily, I can see that you don't feel comfortable. If you'd like me to stay home and work from here, I can do that."

Emily quickly shook her head, taking a small step forward to look that much stronger into the older man's eyes. "No Aaron, you don't have to do that for me. I'm going to be fine staying here without you, I am."

Amelia kept herself discreet as she walked into the kitchen to get a new icepack for her still swollen fist, her lips curling inward so she wasn't to make a sound to disturb the pair.

"Then what's with the look?"

The ivory woman let out a small sigh. "It's nothing."

Aaron narrowed his gaze, watching as her hands set to her hips. "Emily."

Emily let her hard eyes glare into those of the older man before shaking her head. "I was picked up out of my old life and dropped of into this one, and I don't know what to do to myself. I had to give my diner to Steve back home and no one I've spoken to has been able to find Johnny for the time we've been away."

The FBI agent held in his sigh, not wanting to show his frustration to the younger woman. "Emily, I'm sorry but this is what we thought was best. You weren't safe there."

"I know," she agreed, running her fingers through her gently tangled hair. "I just don't know what I'm supposed to be doing all day."

Amelia sucked in a break before smacking her hand hard against the refrigerator, her green eyes widening as pain shot through her entire arm. "Fuck!"

The brunette couple quickly spun around, Emily's jaw dropping at the sight of her daughter holding her injured hand tight to her chest. "Sweetheart what happened?"

Shaking her head, the teenager fought the tears back as much as she could. "I banged it by accident," she sighed shakily. "Mom it hurts."

Aaron watched with a furrowed brow as Emily ran back to the first floor bathroom to get a washcloth, stepping forward to take the teen's hand between his. "That wasn't necessary, Mia." He shook his head when he saw her about to open her mouth. "I saw you bang it."

Amelia sucked her lips between her teeth, a single tear falling from her eyes as the older man held her hand as carefully as he could. "But now she has something to take her mind off my dad."

The father of one didn't even have time to reply before Emily made her way back into the kitchen, spinning Amelia around and cleaning the now bloodied knuckles of her hand.


	7. Chapter 7

Stepping into his home at exactly six fifty-eight that evening, Aaron placed his keys on the hook he had installed on the wall and quickly typed in the passcode to arm the security system. He had made at least eight calls to the house that day to make sure that Emily and the two children were ok, knowing that because Johnny hadn't been found yet Emily was having a hard time trying to get comfortable.

"Emily?" he called out, walking into the living room and locking his gun in the living room safe. "You here?"

"In the dining room."

The father of one frowned, his hands smoothing down his slightly creased jacket lapels before starting towards the dining room. "Have you been ok today? You didn't say much on the phone other than Jack had fallen asleep in the middle of the movie," he chuckled, his eyes widening just slightly as he turned into the room that he had converted just a year prior into the formal dining hall. "What is this?"

Emily grinned to the older man, her hands gesturing to the mahogany table she had filled up with freshly made food. "Welcome home," she smiled, pulling out the chair that sat at the head of the table. "Jack informed me on all your favorite foods, and I took the liberty of borrowing the second car to pick up everything I needed to make them. So come sit."

Aaron shook his head, his hand setting itself to the younger brunette's shoulder. "You didn't need to do this."

"Shut up," she sighed, sharing a smile with the FBI agent when she heard him chuckle. "Just sit down and enjoy my meal."

Jack looked up from his plate and feverishly nodded his head. "Daddy, Em'ly's rice is so good."

"It's so good?"

Jack smiled. "So good," he nodded, hearing the teenager at his side do her best to smother her chuckle. "And the bread's good too, Em'ly!"

Emily blew a kiss to the little blond boy as she sat down in her seat. "Thank you sweetheart. I made it specially for you."

Glancing to his right, the brunette father locked eyes with the teenager that was becoming a fast friend to his son. "How's your hand," he nodded. "Have you been icing it?"

"Mmhmm," she mumbled, the rice her mother had made shoved between her cheeks.

Aaron smiled as he heard her try to mumble a thank you, and he took her glass and filled it with iced tea so she knew he had heard her.

Emily's eyes brightened at the sight of the two sharing a smile, her fingers curled around her knife and fork as she cut into the chicken parmesan. "So how was your day? Any new cases?"

"Just paperwork. What did you do all day?"

"Actually," the brunette started, her eyes down on the plate she had made for herself, "I took the paper you were reading this morning and looked in the ads for a job."

Aaron looked up from his food, surprise written over his stoic face. "You did?"

"Well yeah, I can't just be a homebody forever. I'm going to need a job so I can save up enough money to get a home for me and Amelia." Emily shared a gentle look with the older man, her heart racing behind her breastbone at the intense look she saw in his eyes. "I barely have enough savings from the restaurant to last me a month's rent."

"I thought we talked about this though. It's not safe enough for you to not be here until we find Johnny."

Emily immediately nodded her head, keeping her eyes trained on those of the older man. "No, I know. But we can't stay here forever and I'm going to need a paycheck every other week to keep Mia and I afloat once we're on our own."

Jack looked up from his second piece of Emily's homemade bread and grinned at the brunette woman. "I t'ink you could be a cook, Em'ly! You makes real good food."

"I do?" The chocolate eyed woman who had dropped her jaw for effect gave a wink, laughing in tune with the young boy who continued to stuff the pieces of bread into his mouth. "Well then I guess it's a good thing that I applied to be a chef."

"Yeah!"

Aaron's brow furrowed. "You want to be a chef?"

Emily leaned forward with a smirk, her fork pointing at the older brunette as she swallowed a piece of broccoli. "You finish your meal that I slaved all day over and tell me that I shouldn't be a cook."


	8. Chapter 8

Finally settling herself down on the couch that she had been using for a bed, Emily slipped under the covers, letting out a sigh once her head was resting against the fluffed pillow she had stolen from her savior's bed. Biting her lip, the mother thought about that evening and how close she and Aaron had been, tucking Jack in together, helping Mia with her hand that needed a bandage change and then cleaning up the dining room and kitchen to get rid of the remains of food she had cooked for dinner.

The older man was doing things for her and her daughter that was completely unneeded, but he had no problem with it. He continued to give even when he didn't know if he could anymore, and Emily didn't know how she would even begin to repay him.

She smiled. He had been so sweet to her and Amelia, and showing the fatherly side he had when speaking to her daughter or taking care of little Jack was something that had surprised Emily. She didn't know he could be so nice and forthcoming, let alone give a smile from time to time.

Barely having the chance to close her tired eyes, Emily's head turned to look up toward the house's front door, hearing a small knocking on the painted wood.

The mother of one frowned before getting up and off of the couch, fixing her shirt to make sure nothing was showing as she made her way through the foyer. "Hello?" Who would be knocking on the door at eleven at night? Looking through the small peephole, her brows furrowed when she saw nobody standing on the porch.

She reached for the doorknob, quickly undoing the chain and deadbolt before opening up the door to make sure that there was really no one out there. If she left someone just standing on the porch then that wouldn't be good.

"Emmy."

Emily's chocolate eyes widened at the familiar face, her lips parting to let her gasp escape from her throat. "Johnny."

The brunette man grinned at his ex, walking inside the quaint little house that the mother of his child seemed to now reside in. "Did ya' miss me, babe?" he chuckled, slamming the door closed and reaching behind him to lock the door.

"Aaron!"

Johnny reached forward and grabbed the former diner owner's wrists, shoving her back into the living room until she stumbled and hit the back of the couch. "Shut the fuck up," he growled. "Shut up."

Emily looked away, fighting the terrified scream that wanted to rip through her body when he bumped up against her. "You have to leave, Johnny. You need to leave now!"

"Oh, but what if I don't want to leave?"

She did her best to shove him away, her wrists suffocatingly tight in his hold as he continued to shake her. "Aaron!"

"What did I say?" he screamed, taking one hand away to slap her across the face. "You wanna try that again?"

Emily cried, hot tears falling down her now stinging cheek as her ex moved close enough to waft his breath across her face. "You can't be here," she whispered, her dark eyes looking away from the face that had been haunting her dreams for days. "You have to leave."

"I don't want to leave. I want my family back."

Shaking her head, Emily finally looked back into the father of her daughter's eyes and pushed against him. "We are not your family! We're not yours anymore, do you not get that?"

Johnny grit his teeth, sending his ex falling to the floor before he grabbed a candlestick holder on the nearest mantle. "You fucking come back home or I'll be sure to ram this through your skull."

"No!"

The older man fell to his knees beside the squirming mother of one ad raised the silver holder above his head. "Tell your dead daddy I say hi."

"AARON!"

Emily flew from the couch, her hair sticking up and out every which way as tears fell from her eyes. Her heart pounding, the brunette woman's hands went to feel around her wrists, making sure they weren't chafed. Had he really been there?

"Emily?" Aaron came running down from his room and knelt beside the couch, doing his best to get the younger woman's eyes to move to him and off of her hands. "Emily what happened?"

Emily's arms wrapped tight around the FBI agent's neck, sobs flying from the deepest center of her chest with tears running down her cheeks. "Aaron he was here," she whispered frightenedly, pulling back to look into the older man's eyes. "He was here, Aaron. He was here!"

Aaron shook his head, getting up to sit beside the frantic woman on the couch. "Who was here?"

"Johnny," she cried, her hands running along the length of her scalp and face to feel for any wounds. "He was here, I swear!"

"Calm down," he cooed, bringing the younger brunette closer to him with his hands gently holding onto her waving arms. "Emily, no one is here."

"No but he was!"

Aaron forced Emily's eyes to look into his, his hands moving up to cup her damp cheeks. "You need to pay attention to me, alright? Focus on me."

Emily's lips quivered as she tried to focus on the older man's comforting gaze. "He raped me," she cried, "and h-he hurt my baby, Aaron. He touched my daughter."

"Emily!" He moved as close as he could to the mother of one and held her to him, his arms wrapping tight around her shaking body to try and calm her down. "You have to breathe or I can't help you. Can you do that for me?"

Breathing in a shaky breath through parted lips, Emily set her hands to the older man's back. "I don't want to sleep down here anymore," she whimpered, holding onto the dark haired man as if he were her favorite teddy bear. "Can I move upstairs please? I can't be near the door anymore."

"You don't have to ask, ok?" Aaron helped her stand from the couch and took her pillow in his hand that wasn't resting on her back. "You're coming up to sleep with me, alright? If you're in my bed, I will sleep on the side nearest to the door and that'll help."

"No I can't do that," she whispered, not wanting to wake the children as they walked up the steps to the second floor.

"You can and you will."

Emily shook her head. "Bu-"

"No buts," the FBI agent chasted, helping the younger woman into his room and shutting the door behind him. "I'll stay with you throughout the night and show you that it's ok. Sound good?"

Looking up with tear-filled eyes, Emily let Aaron push her along the wooden floor and over to the bed. "Ok."

Amelia peeked through her bedroom door just in time to see her mother and the man of the house disappearing behind the door of the master bedroom, and she gagged. Not something a child should see.


	9. Chapter 9

Holding in her groan as she awoke from a surprisingly nightmare free sleep, Emily set her hand over her open mouth to hide her yawn. The older man had been right when he said that she'd feel so much better to get away from the couch and sleep with him upstairs, and not having another nightmare while lying by his side throughout the night made the mother of one feel just that much more safe.

She turned her head to peek at the still sleeping man before climbing out from underneath the beautifully fluffed comforter and slipping out of the now freshly lit room.

"Hey mom."

Emily smiled tiredly to her daughter as she made her way into the kitchen of the home she was being permitted to stay in, her eyes narrowing on the bowl before the teenager as she watched her try and stir pancake mix with her injured hand. "Oh Mia, what are you doing?"

Amelia quickly held up her other hand and shook her head. "Stop, I'm fine. It doesn't even hurt right now."

"Mia you should be resting it."

The green eyed girl looked hard to her mother and shook her head, pointing to the center stool that sat at the island. "Just sit and let me cook, ok?"

Emily held in her sigh before sitting herself down, her head settling in her hand as she looked to the already made pancakes beside the stove. "So how did you sleep, baby?"

"Fine," she smirked, keeping her eyes trained on the bowl before her. "What about you?"

The brunette woman frowned at the familiar look she saw on her daughter's face as she stirred the white batter. "Excuse me?"

"What?"

Emily shook her head. "I know that look, Amelia. What are you insinuating?"

Amelia bit her lip to hide her grin as she shook her head, pouring a spoonful of mix into the sizzling pan. "Well I woke up last night and was going to go out and use the bathroom, but I couldn't even step out of my room before I saw you going into Aaron's room," she giggled.

Emily's eyes widened, her heart stopping at the realization. "Oh Mia, please don't think anything happened. You know I wouldn't do something like that."

"I'm not saying anything," she shrugged. "I think it's a good thing."

The mother gave a frown, confusing spreading throughout her as she tried to catch Amelia's gaze. "What's a good thing?"

"You and Aaron."

Emily sighed, running her hands over her tired features. "Honey, I am not going to be with Aaron. Not like that."

Amelia smiled to her mother. "It's not a bad thing, mom. If you wanted to I wouldn't stop you."

"He was just trying to help me," she insisted, holding her hands out in front of her. "I wasn't very comfortable sleeping on the couch last night, and he thought I'd sleep better if I was in an actual bed."

"With him in it."

Hearing a groan from the kitchen, Aaron frowned, finishing the tie on his sweatpants as he walked down the steps. "Everything alright?"

Emily's head spun at the coarse voice, her lips forming a thin line as she shook her head when she heard her daughter try to stifle her giggle behind her. "We're good," she smiled, sending a quick glare to Amelia before standing. "Do you want some coffee?"

Aaron gently forced the younger woman to sit back down on the stool. "I will get it, you just sit down and relax."

The teenager in the room sent a smile to her mother as she flipped one of the pancakes in her pan. "Yeah mom, just relax."

Emily's jaw clicked, ignoring her daughter's comment as she took the cup of coffee she was being handed. "Thank you," she smiled to the older man. "Shouldn't you be getting to work?"

"I sent a text to my superior late last night," he coughed, taking a small sip of the scalding liquid. "I'm yours all day."

Emily shook her head. "You don't have to do that, really. I'm fine by myself."

Aaron looked hard into the younger woman's eyes, setting down the mug he had filled with his favorite brew so he could take her hand in his. "I am going to be here whether you like it or not."

The dark eyed woman shrugged, hearing the toddler in the household run in and greet her daughter. "I have my interview today though. I won't even be here all day."

"I'll come with you. When is it?"

Not noticing the grin her daughter held as she turned off the stove, Emily bit her lip. "In about two hours, it's all the way across town though."

Aaron nodded, standing from his seat before pressing a kiss to the younger woman's dark head. "Perfect. I'll get my partner to come over and watch the kids while we go, alright? Let me just go and get ready."

Holding little Jack tight to her hip, the teenager in the room looked to her mother and winked. "You two have fun today."

Emily let out a groan before leaving the kitchen, grabbing the outfit she had picked out specially for that day before heading to the bathroom to change.


	10. Chapter 10

Emily held her head up and smiled wide to her friend as she walked out of the unfinished building, quickly gripping his hand before walking around the car and jumping in the passenger seat. "I think that went really well."

"Did it?" The older man had been waiting outside for at least an hour, and he knew that she had been a bundle of nerves before she went in for the interview.

"Yeah," she beamed, her bright eyes staring straight at him as she buckled herself up. "He was extremely nice and let me make a quick shrimp scampi for him, and before I could even ask when I could expect a call, if I were lucky enough to get one, he hired me."

Aaron let a laugh leave his lips before reaching over, setting his hand on the younger woman's knee and giving a squeeze. "That's great Emily. I knew you would do well."

Emily bit her lip, trying her best to hold back her smile as she watched the father of one turn his key and start up the SUV. "Thank you."

"So we have the rest of the day to ourselves," the older man grunted, jerking the sticking gearshift before finally putting into gear to get them out onto the road. "I got a text from Mia a few minutes after you went inside and she said that she and Jack are having a good time and are ok for now, so we have a few hours just to ourselves."

Glancing over to the older man, Emily shared a smile with him. "That sounds great, I'd love that."

"What would you like to do?"

"I don't know," she frowned, looking out the windshield as she leaned back in her seat. "I haven't really been here long enough to know what there is to do around here."

Aaron smiled, his hands gripping the steering wheel as he turned a corner. "Alright, well I know this place that you'll just love."

"Oh please don't let it be a place with games," the mother laughed, groaning as she sunk back into her seat. "Amelia begged me for days to take her to a carnival when she was ten years old, and she beat me at every single arcade and child's game there. I refuse to play those things."

The older man let his brows raise at the words that were running from his new friend's mouth. "Ok so we're not going to the arcade."

Emily blushed when she heard herself give a giggle, and she gently shook her head. "Well whatever it is I'm sure it'll be great." Eyes widening when she felt the car pulling to a stop, looking out to the mini golf course she saw that they had pulled up to. "We are not doing this."

"Oh I think we are," he smiled, turning off the car and pulling the key out of the ignition. "Mia told me that this was always your favorite thing to do when there were just you and her days, and so this is what we're going to do."

"No no, I haven't done this in forever. I refuse."

"You refuse?" Aaron turned in his seat and sent a somewhat playful glare to the younger brunette. "I'm not allowing that."

Emily quickly shook her head. "How about this? If we leave now, I will treat you to ice cream before we have to get back to the house."

"You really don't want to do this?"

Emily sealed her lips before vigorously nodding her head, not wanting to break the older man's sweet heart by saying mini golfing was really just a her and Amelia thing.

Aaron locked eyes with the beautiful woman for a small second before nodding, setting the key back in the ignition. "Whatever you want."

Feeling a small flutter in her heart that she hadn't felt since her first date with the father of her child, Emily didn't even blink before leaning over the console and pressing her lips to the older man's.


	11. Chapter 11

Pulling away, Emily slapped a hand over her gaping mouth. God, how stupid could she be? This man had done so much for her and cared for her with as much of his heart that he could muster, and she just goes and ruins it like that?

"Emily, I-"

Emily quickly shook her head and sank back into her seat, hiding her reddening face behind her shaking hands. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry."

Aaron cleared his throat before giving a shake of the head. "No Emily, there's no need to worry."

"No," she sighed, fighting the scream that wanted to rip from her throat. "I can't believe I did that, I am so sorry."

Reaching across the console, the older man took his friend's shaking hands in his and he gave them a strong yank, making those scared dark eyes look up to him. "You have to calm down," Aaron tried to soothe, locking his gaze onto that of the younger woman. "Emily, just breathe alright? You don't have to keep saying you're sorry."

Emily's lips quivered as he tightened his hold on her hands, remembering that every time she did something wrong when she was with Johnny that she had to guard herself to get ready for a beating. "I didn't mean to," she rushed out, her head shaking. "It just happened, I don't know why I did it."

Aaron kept his patience in check at the fear he saw in the mother's eyes, and he gently shook his head. "Look at me," he whispered, his thumb rubbing across the back of her soft hand. "I'm not going to hurt you. Remember that, Emily," the older man smiled. "You didn't make a mistake, you didn't do anything wrong, ok? Don't get upset."

"Can we just forget it please?"

"If you'd like to forget it," he nodded, "then that's what we'll do."

They had been too quiet during dinner, Amelia having to try and drum up some conversation between her new favorite friend and the man that was letting she and her mother stay in his house, noticing that her mother wanted nothing more than to pass around her food on her plate, her head down and eyes shielded from the rest of the table.

After handing the rest of the dirty dishes to the man of the house, the teenager in the home crept up behind her silent mother who stood near the French doors that led out to the backyard and looked up at the barely shining stars that peeked through the clouds. "Mom?"

Emily turned just slightly to send a smile to her daughter. "Hey baby."

"Are you ok?" the green eyed girl whispered, wrapping her arms around her the brunette woman from behind and her chin settling on her stiff shoulder. "Did the interview not go well?"

"No it went great actually. I got the job."

Amelia tightened her arms around her mother and smiled wide. "Mom that's great!"

Emily bit her lip, settling her cheek against her daughter's as she took in a breath.

"Then why are you upset?"

Emily turned to press a kiss to Amelia's nose before shaking her head. "It's not important right now, ok? I'll tell you in the morning."

Amelia nodded. "You tired?"

"Very," the mother giggled, leaving her questioning daughter to play with the toddler so she could get ready for bed and lay down early.

Once in her pajamas, Emily cautiously ventured down the hallway toward the master bedroom where she knew the older man was already putting down the sheets. She peeked into the lighted room, shutting the door behind her and waiting until the FBI agent noticed her presence. "Hey."

Aaron sent a smile to the beautiful woman. "How are you feeling, Emily?"

"Fine," she nodded jerkily. "So I thought that I'd sleep in Mia's room tonight. I hope that's ok with you."

Aaron frowned, making his way across the room to stand before the stiff woman who stayed by the door. "Emily, I didn't know you were that upset about what happened tonight."

Emily sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. "I just think it would be for the best."

"I disagree."

Emily glanced down to the floor, her heart beating so fast that she thought it would spill out of her chest. "Really, I don't think th-"

"Emily," the older man sighed, "I want to talk about what happened, alright? I think we could do that a lot more easily if you were in here with me tonight."


	12. Chapter 12

Sitting on the edge of what was now her side of the bed, Emily looked up to the man who had taken her in.

"So?" he sighed, taking a spot just beside the mother of one. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Yes," she nodded cautiously.

Aaron smiled, doing his best to calm the younger woman with as little words as possible. "Do you want to talk or would you rather just go to sleep right away? Either is fine with me."

The brunette woman smiled shyly to the older man. "I'd rather talk now if I'm going to sleep in here." She took in a breath, glancing down to her trembling hands to calm herself as he waited for her to start. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable today."

"You didn't make me uncomfortable."

Emily let out a huff, rolling her eyes at the soothing tone the FBI agent had. "Yeah right. I don't even know if I was ready for something like that, let alone you. It was just a heat of the moment thing, you know?" She nibbled into her bottom lip. "I am so sorry," she breathed, finally looking back up into the older man's eyes.

Aaron moved an inch closer to the beautiful woman, his hand lying beside hers on his fluffed duvet. "Tell me something."

"Ok," she nodded.

Looking into those still frightened brown eyes, the FBI agent forced himself not to reach out and take her hand. "Was what happened in the car something that you wanted to happen?"

Emily's jaw dropped.

"I'm not judging you," he quickly added, finally taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. "And I'm not trying to embarrass you. All I'm doing is trying to understand."

Straightening her shoulders and lifting her chin, Emily let her hand stay motionless in his hold. "I don't think this is appropriate." The younger brunette did her best to avoid the eyes of the older man, looking anywhere but him and his accusing gaze that tried to hold her to him. "Please."

"Emily," the other adult begged. "I need you to know that I'm trying to help you here."

Emily felt tears enter her stinging eyes, her bottom lip popping out from between her teeth to give a pout. "Yes it was," she whispered with her head down, scared of what her new friend would think of her from what she was beginning to feel for him. He took her in, gave she and her daughter a place to stay and food to eat, and he took her away from an abusive man who was ready to kill her, and she goes and falls for him? Shit move.

Aaron sat himself directly down beside the crying woman and took her into his arms, whispering coos into her ebony hair as he would his small son. "There's no reason to be upset, Emily."

"No," she sighed, pushing him away so she could take in a deep breath. "This is stupid."

"Crying?"

Emily shook her head. "Liking you. It might not even be in a romantic way, you know? I could just be really grateful for you taking me in and I'm thinking that it's something that it clearly couldn't be."

Aaron watched as the younger woman rubbed at her cheeks to try and get her tears away, and he gave a short nod of the head. "You need time to think about it."

"Yeah," she sniffled, running the end of her sleeve underneath her nose. "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to keep saying that." Standing up, Aaron grabbed a pillow from his side of the bed. "I'll give you some time alone, alright?"

Emily's eyes widened. "No!"

The older man felt himself frown. "What's wrong?"

"Please don't leave," the brunette woman begged, getting up from her spot to kneel on the comfortable mattress. "Please? I slept amazingly with you next to me last night."

Aaron saw the tears building behind those broken barriers the mother of one had, and he slowly nodded his head. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"I won't be."

"Alright," he nodded. "I'm just going to go and make sure the kids are alright before I come back, ok? Then we can go to bed."

Emily shared somewhat of a smile with the older man, letting him walk out of their shared room and down the hall before bursting into tears once more.


	13. Chapter 13

Emily smiled wide at the sight of her small makeshift family of almost three weeks now walk through the restaurant's door. It was her first night heading the kitchen in the restaurant she had gotten her new job in, and they had surprised her when dropping her off for the day with a card that read they would be there to support her and order her best dish at seven o'clock sharp.

It was her first day. She didn't even know if she had a best dish yet.

Nodding lightly to the older man that walked up to her, a small smile graced her face, letting him press a kiss to her temple before both of the kids barreled into her arms. The two of them had been getting better as the days passed, and Aaron had even begun a small ritual with her every night before they went to bed.

After tucking Jack in and making sure that Amelia didn't need anything, they would go down into the living room and do at least a half an hour of a puzzle that Aaron's mother had given him as a present so many years ago. It was something that calmed them both down, and having that small amount of communication open and spending just that much quality time together helped her become just as comfortable with him as he was becoming with her.

They slept by one another's side every night, and only recently had he been wrapping his arm around her in his sleep, pulling her closer to his body and holding her there until they both woke up in the morning.

And she liked it.

Emily pulled back from her daughter and little Jack, pressing kisses to both of their heads. "I'm so glad you guys came," she beamed, not even thinking twice before reaching out and pulling the man who had taken her and Amelia into his home into a quick hug.

"We promised!"

"That you did," the mother smiled, pressing her index finger against Jack's, something that they had been doing to take the place of beautiful little kisses that she shared with her daughter. He didn't want to feel left out, and this was something that made him feel as if he were her child too.

Aaron discreetly reached down and took the new chef's hand in his, bringing her body close to his side as they let the other patrons in the bustling restaurant walk past them. "So we get a discount, right?"

The brunette woman's eyes closed as she snorted, squeezing the father's hand as she laughed. "Cute," she smiled. "I'll do my best, but don't get your hopes up." Pointing over to the center table in the restaurant, Emily smiled to the kids. "That table is reserved just for you guys so go and sit down, and Cassidy our waitress will be right there to take your orders."

With another kiss to the younger woman's head once the kids had turned their backs, Aaron left Emily to get back to the kitchen and finish the dishes she was preparing for the rest of the customers. "So do you know what you guys want?"

Amelia smiled as soon as she opened the menu, her eyes hitting the entrée at the top of the page. "The shrimp fra diavolo is definitely what I'm getting. Mom makes it all the time and it's totally to die for."

"Can I get s'ghetti, daddy?"

Aaron nodded to his son, a smile on his face. "Of course you can." Looking to the teenager at the table, the father of now practically two children gave a small smile. "So you have everything set up for your mother when she gets home tonight?"

"I thought you were doing it." Waiting until she saw his eyes widen, Amelia shook her head. "Just kidding."

Catching the eye of the restaurant's new chef as she was reentering the kitchen, Aaron fought the grin that was tugging at his lips. "Not funny."

"You know what would be really nice? If you stopped undressing my mom with your eyes."

Jack frowned up to his father. "Daddy?"

Aaron quickly shut his menu and hastily waved for the waitress to come over. "Can we order? Quickly please."


	14. Chapter 14

Keeping her eyes on the road ahead of them as they drove home, new chef Emily smiled as she heard the kids in the back bickering at one another. "I'm so happy you enjoyed everything."

Aaron shook his head. "You thought we wouldn't? Emily, you're a fabulous cook."

"I know."

The older brunette laughed at the cockiness he heard in her tone, and shared a smile as they pulled into the driveway. "And trust me, I think I had the best dish."

"Lies," the teenager spoke up from the back. "Mine was the best."

"No, mine!"

Hearing Jack pipe up from behind her, Emily let a satisfied smile grace her face. "Thank you all so much."

Amelia popped up from the back and leaned over the front seat to kiss her mother's head. "No problem, working girl."

Emily let a smile float over her face, feeling Aaron's hand brush against hers as they both went to unbuckle their seatbelts. "Thanks, babe," she laughed, getting out of the car before helping little Jack out of his car seat. "You ready for bed, bud?"

The little blond boy graciously nodded his head, his tiny arms wrapping around Emily's neck.

She followed closely behind the man who had taken her and her daughter into his home and walked in when he held the door open for her. Eyes wide, the brunette mother took in the sight before her.

They had cleared everything out of the dining room but the table and shelves where now dozens of candles sat scattered, lilies and two candles side by side sitting in the center of the glazed wood that made the dining room table. Two plates sat across from one another with the shining silverware on perfectly folded napkins.

"What is all this?" she breathed, letting Aaron take Jack from her hold and set him down to scamper off to his room.

Aaron led the younger brunette into the dining room, his hands settled delicately on her shoulders. "It's a congratulatory dinner for you and your successful first day of work."

Emily laughed as he pulled her chair out for her. "And what if my first day was a disaster?" she asked, letting him push her chair back into the table once she was seated.

"Then it would be a condolences dinner."

The new chef bit her lip as her daughter brought out a dish covered by a silver top. "What's this?" she smiled happily.

Amelia set it in between the two adults, one of who was moving his seat closer to the woman who had caught his eye. "Happy first day, mama," she smiled, sharing a kiss with her mother before leaving to go put Jack in bed.

Emily sighed, wanting to smile when Aaron lifted the cover from the platter to reveal a beautifully decorated cheesecake. "Aaron, this is beautiful."

"Is everything alright?" Everything had seemed fine.

"I'm fine," she nodded, trying to smile for the older man. "You're just kind of reminding me of this waiter at the restaurant."

Aaron's face immediately fell, his eyes hardening. "Did something happen?"

The younger woman was quick to shake her head. "No, everything's fine. But while you all were waiting for me to finish up, I was handing him one of the last bowls of soup that I had prepared and it spilled all over him." Her voice grew quieter as she moved her gaze from the single father before her. "He looked really angry for a second and I started having an anxiety attack. I thought he was going to hit me," she whispered pitifully.

Aaron cautiously put his hand over the beautiful woman's and waited until she looked up to him. "What happened after that?"

Emily gnawed at her bottom lip. "I couldn't breathe and he got me a glass of water, and then when I started to calm down I realized that he wasn't going to hurt me. It was just a little embarrassing."

"I'm so sorry you felt that way," the older man sighed, interlacing their fingers. "Do you want to just go and rest? It's been a long day for you."

"No, I want to have dessert with you," she smiled, nodding encouragingly to the older man. "So, a romantic dessert date?"

Aaron smiled to the beautiful brunette and handed her a spoon. "Romantic dessert date, just you and me."

The mother of one let him set the cheesecake to her lips, and she laughed around the dessert when he made a face as he fed her.


	15. Chapter 15

"So Emily," the gray haired man across from her smiled, his blue eyes sparkling from behind the lenses of his glasses. "You've been living with Aaron and his son for how long now?"

Emily nibbled into her bottom lip, feeling Aaron take her hand as she thought. "I think about a month now."

"Aaron?"

The brunette nodded. "A little longer than a month," he agreed.

Looking over to the man at her side, Emily squeezed his hand with a smile. "Thank you for coming with me," she whispered, nodding as he leaned in to kiss her head. The FBI agent had refused to let her go into the therapy session alone, afraid she might have an episode and he wouldn't be there for it.

And he was the one who made her go in the first place.

"How many meltdowns have you had so far, with being away from home?"

Aaron felt the younger brunette's hand tighten aroun his. "We say episodes," he nodded, not wanting to have the chef grow upset.

"I apologize," Dr. Broden nodded. "How many episodes?"

The mother of one let her head gently tilt to the side as she thought. "I don't know. Less than five."

"But have they been big episodes? Have you been traumatized recently to cause these?"

Emily could feel her eyes stinging. She felt Aaron's eyes on her from his seat beside her on the couch, and she gave a small smile to the doctor to try and calm her nerves. "My boyfriend back home was abusive to both my daughter and I, and sometimes things trigger that."

"Can you give me one example?" he questioned.

She rolled her lips into her mouth and licked them gently. "The other day, I messed up something at work and I thought one of the waiters was going to get physical with me."

Dr. Broden gently nodded his head, scribbling in the notebook he held. "What made you think he was going to do something to you?"

"His eyes," she whispered, tears threatening to spill as her voice grew hoarse. "He just looked really angry for a minute, and I started having a panic attack."

"Can you tell me your worst panic attack? How long did it last?"

Emily's teeth raked over her bottom lip. "Maybe an hour," she shrugged. "I was sleeping on the couch in Aaron's home and I had an awful nightmare of my ex coming and beating me and trying to take Mia."

"I take it you no longer sleep on the couch?"

Noticing her blush, Aaron looked to the doctor. "She has slept in my bed ever since that night. It comforts the both of us."

Dr. Broden smiled gently at the pair on the couch, having noticed their clasped hands from the momet they walked into the room. "May I infer that you two are together?"

"We're testing out a relationship," the elder of the brunettes nodded. "But nothing physical right now."

Emily hid her smile with her other hand.

"I guess you didn't need to know that."

Dr. Broden watched as Emily rubbed her hand along the FBI agent's arm and he sat back a little in his chair. "Emily, can you tell me how your daughter feels about this relationship?"

The brown eyed woman wiped the tears from her cheeks and quickly nodded. "She loves Aaron and loves his little boy. She already thinks of him as a little brother."

"And if this doesn't work out? The children are in jeopardy, you know."

"I think that's obvious," she shrugged. "But Amelia understands how much Aaron has helped us and if we end up just being friends, I'm sure she'll love that just the same."

The doctor nodded. "And how do the children get along?"

Aaron laughed, thinking about how the kids were acting that morning and the mischief they had gotten into. "Jack looks up to Amelia like a sister, and she loves taking care of my son. And they make our lives easier," he laughed, "with helping each other out and giving Emily and I some time to ourselves."

"Do you help Emily with her panic attacks?" he asked, getting back onto the topic they came here to talk about.

"As best I can. It hurts me to see her hurting."

Emily glanced to the older man at her side with her watering brown eyes.

"Do you think a relationship is the best thing for her right now with the mental state she is in?"

He didn't hesitate to shake his head, his shoulders straightening as he felt himself getting ready to be critiqued. "I don't believe so, no. Emily is a strong woman, and we are willing to help each other through this. She's become my support system very quickly and I with her. If she's hurting, I want to make her better. I think that's a good foundation for a relationship."

Emily's lips quivered, taking in a breath as she hid her face in Aaron's strong neck. She knew exactly what he was saying.

Whether they knew it or not, they were heading into falling in love.


	16. Chapter 16

The brunette woman untied her hair from the bun it had been in for the majority of her work day, having to keep her neck from sweating in the sweltering kitchen and distracting her while she tried to make her food. It had been a long day, a wedding party coming in for their reservation that had been made months before Emily was the head chef, and thankfully they were all in love with the dishes she had prepared.

It was finally time to head home, almost one in the morning, and she needed to finish cleaning the kitchen before she was able to go out and hop into the car that Aaron had let her take for the day because he had the day off of work.

"I'll see you tomorrow, chef."

Turning at the sound of one of the waiters, Emily smiled wide. "I have the day off tomorrow, Tony. I'll see you on Sunday though, ok?"

The man in his early twenties nodded. "Spend a day with the family?" he smiled, having seen the pictures of her daughter and the man and his son that she as staying with.

"Exactly," she smiled, reaching into the tip jar and giving the amount that the younger man deserved to him before he left the kitchen. "Have a nice night, Tony."

"You too, chef."

Waiting until she knew she was alone in the restaurant, Emily went over to the phone that sat beside the fire door and quickly dialed the house phone.

After two rings, she heard the man she was falling for answer the phone. "Hello?"

"Aaron?" she smiled gently, her voice a whisper. "Hey, it's me."

The older man smiled at the sound of the younger woman on the other end of the phone. "Hi there, sweetheart. Are you on your way home? It's late."

Emily's fingers clutched the handle of the phone tightly in her hand. "We had a party that went on until maybe twenty minutes ago so I'm just finishing cleaning up. I'll probably be home in about a half an hour, ok?"

"I'll keep the bed warm for you, baby. I'll even have your favorite drink ready for you on the nightstand."

Biting down hard into her bottom lip, the mother of one smiled her widest, her cheeks burning a rosey pink when she heard the little timber in his voice. "Thank you. I'll be there as soon as I can, ok? You don't have to wait up for me."

Aaron frowned and shook his head, walking through the living room when he heard a knock on the front door. He had ordered flowers specially for his new girlfriend, and he made sure that they would be ordered right before she got home so they'd still be fresh for her. "That's like telling the sun not to rise in the morning. I'll be waiting for you, ok?"

"Ok," she grinned against the phone. "I'll see you soon."

"Bye sweetheart."

Emily nodded, reaching for the rag that was on the counter beside her. "Bye." She hung up the phone as quickly as she could and grabbed the new bottle of cleaner from the closet in the back of the kitchen. If she wanted to get home and get ready to spend the day with her new family, she was going to have to finish quickly so she could get a good night's sleep.

Amelia had helped Jack make her and her new boyfriend pancakes early that morning, knowing that she was going to have to go into work earlier than usual for all the plans and reservations that were going on that day. They had come in and woken up the pair that had been cuddled together in the middle of their shared bed, and the four of them got seated on the floor in the master bedroom and ate their breakfast together with Jack in Emily's lap and Mia sitting besie the man of the house.

They had been becoming a family, and Emily couldn't be happier.

Turning off all of the lights and locking the restaurant's doors before she got into her car, Emily smiled, staring up to the stars. She was finally starting to feel like herself again.

She closed the door lightly behind her, knowing that even if her daughter was asleep, she would wake up in an instant if there was a noise in the house. "Aaron?" She set her purse on the kitchen counter and hung up her coat by the front door. "Honey, are you still up? Or did you fall asleep?" she giggled, mostly to herself.

Rounding the corner, the brunette woman flickered on the living room light. "Aaron?"

"Emmy darling," came the familiar voice. "I knew you'd come back to me."

Emily's eyes shot open, flickering over to her ex-boyfriend who stood in the center of the living room with a crying Jack tight in his arms. "Johnny?" Her voice quivered, brown eyes immediately watering when she saw how red her boyfriend's son was growing.

He had found them.


	17. Chapter 17

Emily's hands shook violently before her open mouth, her dark eyes glued on the young boy she had been treating as her own son as she saw his face grow more red by the second. "Put him down! Let go of him!"

Johnny smiled cruelly to the younger woman. "You love this little boy?"

"Please," she cried, afraid to step forward. "Please let him go. You're hurting him, Johnny! You're hurting him!"

Jack wiggled slightly in the strange man's arms, his tears dampening his cheeks as he watched the woman before him trying to come to grips with what was happening. "Em'ly!"

John saw the fear in his ex's eyes and threw the little boy to the floor.

"Come here, baby," the brunette cooed, taking the sobbing boy into her arms and squeezing him tight against her chest. "It's ok. Shh," she sighed, crying into his beautiful blond hair. "Shh baby, it's ok."

Jack leaned back and tapped his palm against his father's girlfriend's cheek. "Where daddy and Mia, Em'ly?"

The older man beside the couch hardened his eyes on the brunette he had been in love with. "Stand the fuck up."

Emily's lips quivered as she held Jack against her, standing up on her shaking legs to face the man she had run from. "What are you doing here?"

"What the fuck do you think I'm doing here?"

"Where's my daughter?" she seethed, seeing that sickening smile spread across the face that had haunted her dreams for years. "Where's Aaron?"

Johnny gestured to the couch he stood beside. "See for yourself."

Emily refused to let go of the young boy before her, but as she bent down to pick him up, she heard her ex call to her.

"Leave the kid."

The brunette woman looked up to Johnny with scared eyes, her jaw hitting the floor when she saw the gun he had used back at home to scare away burglars stuffed in the front of his pants.

Johnny smirked. "I doubt he'd want to see this."

"Em'ly?"

Emily quickly leaned down and pressed a small kiss to the toddler on the head. "I'm just gonna go right over there, ok? It's ok baby, I promise." She felt her heart break at the look on his face as she let go of his hand, her breath hitching as Johnny grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the couch.

"Look," he grinned, his lips against her ear. He could feel her shiver from his touch, his eyes trained on the nervous features of her face. "Go ahead, baby. I dare you."

Emily sucked in a breath, her eyes stinging with tears when she saw her boyfriend lying motionless on the floor. "Is he dead?" she whispered, her heartbeat stopping at the sight of blood trickling from the side of his head.

Johnny sighed. "No, I don't think so."

She cursed under her breath when he shook her, her hair flying before her eyes. "Where's Mia?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Emily's chocolate eyes darkened on the man she had once been in love with, feeling his hand tighten around her arm. "She's your daughter as much as she is mine, do you get that? You're supposed to love her. If you hurt her, I swear to God I'll put a bullet through your head."

His gaze hardened on the younger woman. "Oh you will, will ya'?"

She forced herself not to scream as she was pulled to his front, the gun he had shoved in his pants forcefully shoved into her stomach. "Don't," she pleaded, hearing Jack crying behind her. "Don't do it."

"It'd be thrilling to see your blood splattered against the wall," Johnny hissed to the mother of his daughter, taking his hand from her arm and gripping her slender neck to bring her forehead against his. "Not that I haven't made you bleed before."

The laughter coming from those lips she used to kiss every night caused her eyes to widen. "You wouldn't shoot me with a two year old standing right there."

Johnny frowned. "It's like you don't know me at all."

Emily's lips thinned out into a straight line, her rapid breathing drying up her tongue. "Where's Mia?"

"She wasn't here when I got here, ok? I don't know." The older man ran the muzzle of the gun along his ex's abdomen and grinned. "You ready?"

Emily gulped, staring into those dark eyes of the man who had given her her child. "Ready for what?"

"To come home. That's why I came here," he scoffed. "You're coming home."


	18. Chapter 18

Jack ran from the house, his face red and stained with tears as he watched his father's girlfriend drive off with the man who had come and hurt his daddy. "Mia! Em'ly!"

Amelia opened up the garage door and stepped into the house, rushing over to the front door and ushering the little boy inside. "Jack, come back here. Come on, Jack!"

The two year old ran and jumped into the older girl's arms. "Mia," he cried, his arms wrapped around Amelia's neck as she shut and locked all the doors to the house. "Where's Em'ly, Mia?"

Amelia refused to cry, putting the young boy down by the couch and kneeling beside the unconscious man. "She's gonna be ok buddy, ok?"

"I want Em'ly!"

She slapped lightly at the older man's cheeks, knowing he had a pulse, and tried her best to get him to wake up. "Aaron? Aaron, can you hear me?"

He groaned.

Amelia was quick to fill up a cup of water in the kitchen and rush back over to the living room, splashing the freezing liquid against her mother's boyfriend's face. "Aaron!"

Aaron gasped as the water flew down his throat, coughing up the liquid as he tried to get himself up and off of the floor.

"Thank God," the teenager cried, helping her mother's boyfriend sit up against the couch.

"What happened?" Aaron glanced to his left and saw his son crying behind his two tiny hands, and he quickly picked him up and set him in his lap. "Hey hey, it's ok," he tried to shush, rocking his son in his lap and kissing his head. "What's the matter?"

"Em'ly," the two year old sobbed against his father's shirt. "Where's Em'ly?"

Amelia tugged the older man up from the floor, doing her best to steady the FBI agent as he swayed to one side "He took her, Aaron. He took mom."

The father of one's eyes widened, remembering exactly what had happened before he had fallen unconscious.

_"Where is she?"_

_Aaron held his gun firm in his hand, eyes hard on the younger man who stood before him with a pistol pointed at him. "I'd take this opportunity to leave, Johnny."_

_The dark eyed man gave a chuckle. "Just tell me where she is, Agent Hotchner."_

_"I will give you one minute to get yourself out of my house."_

_"Daddy?"_

_Aaron's head turned for not even a minute to tell his son to head back to his room before he was pistol whipped, his body falling hard to the floor and blood seeping from his temple as he felt the darkness came over him._

"Daddy!"

Aaron rushed the two kids out the door and into the SUV, slamming hard on the accelerator and speeding out of the driveway. "Which way?" he shouted, slamming his coworker's number into the dialpad in the car.

"Go to the left! Left!"

"Aaron?"

The dark haired man turned the steering wheel and sped around the street corner, hearing his son give a scream as Amelia tried her best to hold onto him and keep him safe. "Dave, I need you to get in your car right now. We're headed toward your street."

"What the hell is going on?"

"Emily's been taken," he rushed out, spinning the steering wheel in the other direction and speeding around the lanes of traffic. "Johnny came and he took her, and I need you in your car now."

The older profiler ran to his car, unlocking his front doors. "I can guess I'll know which car is yours."

Aaron kept his eyes focused on the road, his hands locked around his steering wheel. "You bet."

"There!" the teenager called out, seeing her father's pickup truck skid off to the side of the major highway. "Aaron, right there!"

The FBI agent's eyes locked onto a male figure pushing another out the passenger side of the truck, Emily trying her best to run from her ex before she was tackled to the ground. He sped to the side of the road and threw the car in park, throwing open his car door. "You two stay here, do you hear me?"

Jumping out of the car, Aaron aimed his firearm at the man who fought to keep his girlfriend still. "Hands in the air, Johnny."

The other man laughed, yanking his ex up from the ground and keeping her against his chest. "Agent Hotchner, nice to see you awake. You know, I think I prefer you before. Quiet and still," he hissed, his gun pressed up against Emily's temple. "Looked pretty dead."

"Sorry to break your heart," he shrugged, taking a step forward and meeting the crying eyes of the brunette woman. "Emily, you hang on, alright?"

"Aaron!" she cried, her body being pulled back against Johnny's and his gun ramming into the side of her skull. "Aaron please," the mother of one sobbed.

Jonny slammed the gun harder against his ex's head. "Shut up! Shut the fuck up!" He looked over to the FBI agent and grinned. "So what'll it be here, Hotchner? You gonna try and shoot me? You might just hit your precious little Emily," he grinned, biting down hard on Emily's ear. "What are you gonna do?"


	19. Chapter 19

Emily wanted to reach out and run into her boyfriend's arms, the look in the agent's eyes trying to calm her down. Her breathing was out of control, her eyes dilated and the sweat dripping from every pore in her body. How was she supposed to be calm in this sort of situation? "Aaron," she whispered.

"You want me to blow a bullet through that thick skull of yours?" Johnny screamed. "Shut the fuck up!"

Aaron heard the sirens blare behind him, and he knew the rest of his team had finally arrived.

"Please," the scared brunette pleaded, her lips pouting as her eyes grew red for her copious amount of tears. "Aaron please!"

Johnny pushed the gun in his hand so hard into Emily's head that it flew to the side, blood trickling from her porcelain white skin. "Have you forgotten everything I taught you? Shut the fuck up!"

Amelia held Jack tight to her chest as she watched the scene unfold from the back of the SUV, her eyes filled with tears as she saw her mother try to focus her eyes. Emily had done everything she could to try and protect her and make the world a safe place for her, but it looked like she was going to lose this last battle.

"She ok, Mia?"

Hearing the hiccupped question spoken against her neck, Amelia smoothed down the young boy's sandy hair. "She's going to be ok."

Aaron watched the deranged man wrap his arm around his girlfriend's neck, and he forced himself not to show the fear he felt for the beautiful woman whose face was redder than he could imagine. "Let her go."

"Or what?" the country man chuckled, feeling Emily start to grow heavier in his arms. "What are you going to do, officer? Shoot me?"

The FBI agent felt himself give an evil grin. "It's agent," he corrected. "And yes. I will."

Johnny caressed his ex's white skin with the muzzle of his gun, watching the crimson blood smear across the side of her head. "Still beautiful," the crazed man laughed gently. "You look better with a little color."

"Can I ask you something?"

Johnny looked up and watched another FBI agent step forward, this one with a bulletproof vest strapped to his chest.

Dave nodded to the younger man, knowing Derek and the rest of the team had his gun trained on him just as he did. "Do you have a point?"

"What?"

The award winning author looked Johnny in the eye and gave a small nod of the head. "Is there a point? Coming here, finding the woman you say you love but slap around, and threatening her life before us all. Is there some kind of point to this? Any of this?"

Johnny almost felt bamboozled, his grip on the gun faltering for the quickest second. "She's mine."

"She's not anyone's to have, son. She's her own person."

"She's MY person!" he growled. "She always has been! Emily and Mia are my girls! MINE!"

Dave stepped forward, shoulder to shoulder with the man on his team who had everything to lose in the next thirty seconds. "Do you love them?"

Johnny gave a stupid grin. "What a dumb fucking question! Of course I do! That's why I want them back."

"Look at her face, Johnny. Look at what you're doing to her."

Emily did her best to control her breathing as she grew dizzy, her eyes not knowing where to look. Her hands clung to her ex's arm around her neck, and she felt his face turn to hers, the tip of his nose so close to her cheek that she could feel his breath.

"You will always be mine," the abusive man said, the words grumbling low in his throat.

Aaron watched the younger man step a millimeter to his right, and he was finally out from behind the woman he had fallen for. Without hesitating, his eyes meeting those of the brunette in Johnny's arms, and his finger pressed hard on the trigger.

Emily gasped, her body jolting forward as her ex fell to the floor, and her hand flew up to her head to see how much blood.

"Emily!" The agent shoved his glock into his holster and ran toward the woman he loved. "Emily!"

The chef cried and threw her arms around the older man. "Aaron," she sobbed, her tears melding into Aaron's tanned skin. "I was so scared."

Her whispered words broke his heart, and hearing Amelia screaming to them from the car, he reluctantly let her go. "Go to her."

She kissed him quickly before running off to the SUV, pulling her daughter into a hug tighter than she thought she could hold her. "I'm so sorry," she cried, trying her best to soothe the teen in her arms. "But he's gone now, ok? He's gone, baby."

"Mommy he almost killed you," Amelia croaked.

Pulling back, Emily looked her daughter dead in the eyes. "I would never leave you. Do you hear me?"

"Me, Em'ly?"

The brunette pulled the young boy from the backseat of the car and hugged him to her chest. "I won't leave you either."

"You gonna stay?"

Emily's eyes watered as she felt Aaron's presence behind her, and she let both kids cuddle into her chest as she nodded. "I will," she tried to smile, her heartbeat still racing. "I promise."


End file.
